Hoban scores six in Glens win as Blues beat Bangor

Pat Hoban scored six goals as a rampant Glentoran thumped 10-man Carrick Rangers 7-0 at Taylors Avenue.

Hoban netted four goals in the first half in which Reece Glendinning was sent off for Carrick and added another two in the second period before Liam Burt arrowed in a fine seventh.

The win moves the Glens to within two points of second place Coleraine, and they have three games in hand over the Bannsiders.

Linfield got back to winning ways following their three-game run without a win with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Bangor at Windsor Park.

Crusaders made it three league games unbeaten courtesy of a 2-0 win over Dungannon Swifts at Seaview.

Ballymena v Glenavon and Portadown v Cliftonville were both postponed due to frozen pitches.

In-form Hoban opened the scoring for the Glens after just nine minutes.

Ryan Cooney delivered a low cross from the right and Hoban took a touch before dispatching a low shot past Scott Pengelly into the bottom corner of the net.

The pair then combined for Hoban's second goal just five minutes later, Cooney delivered a free-kick into the heart of the Carrick Rangers defence where the former Derry City man outjumped everyone to head home.

Hoban duly completed his hat-trick four minutes before half-time, this time capitalising on more lapse Carrick defending to sweep home from 12 yards after Cameron Palmer had presented him with the chance.

He wasn't done there as just before the break he got on the end of another Cooney free-kick at the near post to loop a superb header in off the far post.

Incredibly, the 34-year-old front man simply picked up where he had left off at the start of the second half, heading home his fifth of the afternoon from another Cooney corner in the 50th minute.

A minute later he netted his sixth of an incredible personal performance, peeling off the last man to coolly tuck home at the back post from Cooney's fifth assist of the day.

That tally saw him become the first player since Portadown's Gary Hamilton to score six goals in an Irish Premiership game after he netted a double hat-trick in a 9-0 win against Omagh Town in October 2004.

Hoban was replaced to a standing ovation soon after, but the scoring didn't end there.

Midfielder Burt got in on the act with arguably the goal of the game just after the hour, curling a delightful effort over the head of helpless Carrick keeper Pengelly.

It was a day to forget for the home side, who lost Ryan Waide to injury early on and had Glendinning sent off after half an hour for a high challenge on Jordan Jenkins.

It took the champions 17 minutes to break the deadlock as Charlie Allen produced a composed finish after Matthew Fitzpatrick's pull-back evaded Chris McKee and found its way into Allen's path.

Just two minutes later, the Blues doubled their lead, this time through a powerful Matt Yates left-footed strike. His effort was right at the goalkeeper, but carried too much pace for Patrick Solis Grogan to stop it.

The Blues added a third just seven minutes into the second half with McKee a tad fortunate that Fitzpatrick's pass glanced Reece Neale's head, meaning he was played onside, and he made no mistakes as he fired past Solis Grogan.

It was four for Linfield moments later as Yates turned provider, with Fitzpatrick finding the back of the net with a first-time right-footed strike.

The visitors grabbed a consolation before the hour mark as Harry Lynch made no mistake from the spot after Ben Arthurs was brought to ground following a push from Fitzpatrick.

McKee added his second and a fifth for Linfield from the spot in the 75th minute, with Fitzpatrick also grabbing another as he scored the Blues' sixth of the afternoon a minute later.

Crusaders opened the scoring after five minutes in a move started and finished by Finley Thorndike.

The midfielder used his strength to beat Gael Bigirimana to the ball in the centre of the pitch before he played a quick pass to Elliot Dunlop.

The winger played it back to Thorndike, who showed his composure by letting the ball run across him before he finished past Declan Dunne.

Dungannon tried to respond, and their best attempt of the half came through Adam Glenny.

The ball fell to the defender inside the box from a corner and he fired a side-footed effort past Musa Dibaga, but it ricocheted off the post to keep the hosts in front.

Crues doubled their lead in the 49th minute when Jarlath O'Rourke cleared the ball towards Fraser Bryden and the striker used his chest to control it before firing across goal to score his 15th of the season.

The hosts almost scored a third minutes later when Lloyd Anderson delivered a low cross to Thorndike, but the midfielder fired his effort over the crossbar.

Dungannon's best chance of the second half again came from Glenny, but Dibaga made a good reaction save.

The goalkeeper was called into action again soon after to turn away James Knowles's free-kick.